TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1981
HK EXPORTS NOT DISRUPTIVE
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THE CLAMOUR OF CALLS FROM INDUSTRIES IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES FOR INCREASED PROTECTION AGAINST IMPORTS FROM SO-CALLED LOW-COST SUPPLIERS IS OBSCURING THE FACT THAT GARMENTS FROM HONG KONG REPRESENTED ONLY 1.3 PER CENT AND 3 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY OF US AND EEC CONSUMPTION.
IN
THIS WAS STATED TODAY (FEBRUARY 24) BY MR BILL DORWARD DIRECTOR OF TRADE INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, WHEN HE REVEALED THẤT, THE SO-CALLED SENSITIVE+ CATEGORIES IN BOTH THOSE MAJOR MARKETS IN 1980, EXPORTS TO THE EEC HAD ACTUALLY DECLINED BY 0.1 PER CENT AND TO THE US HAD GENERALLY INCREASED BY ONLY 2 TO 3 PER CENT.
+NO ONE WITH ANY HOPE OF PRESERVING A SHRED OF CREDIBILITY CAN ARGUE THAT THESE NUMBERS REFLECT A TRADE WHICH IS, OR THREATENS TO BE, WIDELY DISRUPTIVE. TO DO SO WOULD BE EFFECTIVELY TO ARGUE THAT ALL IMPORTS ARE BY DEFINITION DISRUPTIVE WHICH IS PATENT AND SELF-DEFEATING RUBBISH, HE SAID.
DESPITE THE SLUGGISH PERFORMANCE IN THE SENSITIVE CATEGORIES, HOWEVER, MR DORWARD REVEALED THAT IN 1980 TOTAL QUOTA UTILISATION FOR GARMENTS TO THE US SHOWED AN INCREASE IN THE VOLUME OF EXPORTS OF ABOUT 4 PER CENT AND TO THE EEC OF ABOUT 7 PER CENT.
SPEAKING TO THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG GARMENT MANUFACTURERS AT THEIR ANNUAL SPRING DINNER, MR DORWARD SAID THE OVERALL INCREASE WAS ACHIEVED FIRST OF ALL AS A RESULT OF IMPROVED MARKET CONDITIONS FOR KNITWEAR AFTER A RELATIVELY SLOW YEAR IN 1979- AND ALSO, PERHAPS MORE SIGNIFICANTLY, BY YOUR ABILITY TO DEVELOP EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE NON-SENSITIVE CATEGORIES.+
MR DORWARD TOLD HIS AUDIENCE THAT THESE VERY IMPORTANT FACTS WERE PRESENTED TO THE US NEGOTIATORS WHO ARE IN HONG KONG TODAY SEEKING STILL FURTHER CONCESSIONS IN RESPECT OF THE SO-CALLED +SENSITIVE+ CATEGORIES.
+AND THEY WILL BE MADE FIRMLY AND OFTEN IN THE COMING YEAR OR SO TO THOSE WHO ARGUE THAT OUR LEGITIMATE ASPIRATIONS TO FAIR TRADING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR MAJOR INDUSTRY SHOULD BE MORE AND MORE RESTRICTED, HE EMPHASISED.
ON THE FORTHCOMING DISCUSSIONS ON THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT, WHICH EXPIRES AT THE END OF 1981, MR DORWARD SAID IT WAS REGRETTABLE THAT THE RENEGOTIATIONS WOULD BE TAKING PLACE IN A WORLD HIT BY ECONOMIC RECESSION- AND WITH A TEXTILE AND GARMENT INDUSTRY IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD AFFECTED BY UNEMPLOYMENT CAUSED MAINLY BY IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY AND IMPORTS FROM OTHER, MORE COMPETITIVE, DEVELOPED COUNTRIES.
+THE PRESSURES ARE, OF COURSE, ON FOR RESTRICTION TO BE PILED ON RESTRICTION WHEREVER THIS CAN BE CONVENIENTLY DONE WITH LITTLE OR NO FEAR OF RETALIATION.
BY
+FOR OUR PART, WE ARE PREPARING OURSELVES FOR THE MAJOR NEGOTIATIONS, WHICH SHOULD START IN THE EARLY SUMMER MARSHALL ING OUR FACTS AND THOUGHTS AND MAINTAINING CONTACTS AT SENIOR LEVELS AROUND THE WORLD, HE SAID.
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